New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-20
thanks. Mrs. Pfeder The world, after all, is not
TO be made uglier than it is women to forego
all their charming coquetres of costume.
LEFT TO DIE IN THE SNOW.
THOUSANDS OF HEAD OF CATTLE LOST IN
DAKOTA AND WYOMING.

DAKOTA AND WYOMING.
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT TRIBUSRl
RAPID CITY, Oak, Feb. ia journey down the
western slope of the Black Hills to the plains of Wyo
ming in winter adds more to mans information than
pleasure. The severity of the weather has been fet
throughout the country but on these western plans
sheltered by the mountains rough wintry storms
are little expected and provision is made to rcsict
Them the winter has assumed grim and terrible as
pect The writer in company with the manager OF a
Dakota cattle company which keeps 10000 head OF
cattle winterng on the ranges OF western Dakota and
eastern Wyoming. recently made the journey down
the western slope of the Hills the Wyoming plains
to observe how the herds survive the storms OF winter
without food or shelter.
The valleys of the western Hills, especially the deep
and narrow alley OF the Inyon Kag1, arc filed to tho
depth of eight or feet with snow. These valleys
are render ed passable TO the traveller only by tho
constant coming and going OF the long trains OF
freight wagons. In general q single beaten track
winds through the narrow valley and continuous en-
baukmens of four or five feet high wall IN the
road At irregular intervals there are meetingplaces
whre the snow is beaten down over space wide
enouob TOR two teams to pass wi hout being buried
Along the Inyon Kaga the Hills rise from 800 to
200 feet on either side. Here and there along the
steep hsidcs the hut of miner % hunter stands in
dcsoae solitude sending ito smoke among the black
pine groves or the enowcovcred rocks. otherwise
these valleys vast solitudes disturbed only by the
noise of the torrents aud the rlbng of the freight
wagons The valleys gradually widen and the hills
dwindle away aud finally merge into one wide waste
of drifting euow. Here and there a few blades OF
whered grass rise above the surface OF snow and the
region has an unutterabIy wild add desoate look.
Far the owe can reach it finds nothing put TINS
Sahara of drifting snow over who the wlnu sweeps
and bowls, SAKE where here and there the SNAKE 10
seen curling IN from the chimney of herdsmanS hut
haif buried in the drifts On the plain the snow IA
found several feet lighter than in the valleys above,
averaging from eight to eighteen inches Bnt the
wind blows hurricane from the north ana inc ar IL
IL audi nta
buried deep in snow, Is perhaps the greatest cattle
range OF the Northwest being the summer and winter
,,asturo of hundreds OF thousands of cattle.
Long before reaching the Irincipal ranch or head,
quarters of the company. evidences OF the fatal
severity OF the winter storms were found IN the ear
of cattle halt buried in the that lay scat
tered over tho plain. Looking in any direction. q
horn nose upturned leg could be seen project
ing above the snow In drive OF hity iies along 'he
western skirt of the Hills. there was scarcely a
moment when the OF an animal was not vsible
within a few rods OF the track. Sometimes ten or
a narrow ravine. where water might oice have run
MANY of them have stiff while standing on their
feet. Here and there animal or group OF ANIMALS
could be standing motioness and dead WIN noses
resting in the snow Troops of hungry COYOTES come
prowlisr down from the Hills to gorge themselves on
the caroasses Many an animal can be seen
near the foot of the Hills standing stiiy On ts feet
among the drifting with great holes torn III IFS
sides BY these tar ehDg creatures.
Four dsys were spent at the ranch or the Dakota
Company and had an opportunity OF more carefully
inspecting the winters havoc among the herds Three
months ago moro than ten thousand cattle owned pv
this Company grazing upon this range, all OF
them tat and healthy. II would take the appisnccs OF
a Spanish Inq.isition TO eItort from the owners
confession OF their present number. In one tav'he,
where The cattle used find water Law l67 dead. IN
little more than miles distance Most OF them were ~
ing down often four five piled oge tier showing that
they had stood III groups striving by united effort TO
res;st the deadly mower of the freezing blast Calves
from six 70 eight months old lying by the sides Of their
mothers were among tho commonest sights. ~ orc
spot Young calf lay halt buried In the enow WINE 'he
poor mother stood over il with her nose touching us
neck. At another SPOT stood cow sthcned win
cold and Young calf by her side standing in attitude
Tn suck In another ravine eighty-two dead cattle
were fonnd heaped together In the midst OF the
group wss m old red bull standing on hs feet sur
cattle we're living down them had fallen upon
their knees, and halt n dozen were on the,r leet
Cows exhausted by the summers sucsng onn ana
calves the tavorite victims OF mo storms ana
these lie scattered over the prairie In thousands
The living cattle 60 about among their frozen nales
and are II possible pitilnl sight than the heais
OF carcasse Thousands OF cattle are staggering IN te
snow so feeble that they could never regain srchBlh
if spring should open tomorrow' me s"og s,,nds
on end and Ia vain protection from the pitiess VIM
that whisted through IT, They stand all day ana All
night their backs achod up anu '"o'i " o
Il IL as yet impossible moro than vaguely to gness
the amount of loss suffered by inc grazefs q thesc
Dakota and Wyoming ranges. Inc owners OF u.
herds are extremely cautious in their statcmcbt-'
stranger might infer from the talk OF the eato men
~, in The towns Of the HillG that only few OF The
noorer and weaker cattle arc dying, while tho bulk 81
the herds are standing the winter quito wen. EVeh
when standing in these sheltered raVincs WIN nun
dreds of dead cattle lying around. the doVers Pooh
pooh il off with assurances that this Is an einor
binary scene" that " "A Large number OF weak INN
cattle gathered together herr and died on WINE tho
genera herd are rustling about little huri b"t aI'c,
Waiting hall dozen OF these rayncs and hndng III all
NJ Them strikingly similar scenes and nowhere any
tbinp different The suspicion naturally arises tat thh
il pcfhaps tair representation OF tue general conan
tion ot the cattle on these great ranges That thou
sands have already persisted Is unqucst!onabe That
tbosands more will perish before spring Is next 10
inevitable. II L..
There is not the sghtes, winter provision made ior
these vast herds man may own ten thoisahd
head and haze not q bushe of corn not ton oil hsyl
or single shed for shelter IL Is not the intense cod
or the piercing wind tina, Ia dreaded but the hcavy
snowfall SO long it continued dry there IL no lear
of winter Nature furnishes unknown hay in abund-
ance and while the weather Is dry tho cattle live
olmost IA well on these plans the barns OF New
ENGLAND or among the corn fields OF Illinois and Iowa
Buf when the dreaded snow comes and buries the
sanding hay CROP there Ia nothing LOT INC o@'io ou'
starvation and freezing.
The great grazcrs OF these ranges Laugh at an eastern
mans prosaic suggestions OF methods for the proven
on OF this ertravagant loss. They laugh al the IDEA
of providing hay Tor 1900 cattle or building shelter
TO protect such herds severe winter IL sald 10 %
an execution SO rare that 1t would never pay TO mako
provision tor it, But this is species OF philosophy
not easil dgested after week spent III fdhe over
the ranges and seeing tho thousands oil catte lying
dead among the drifting snow.
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MR. MARTINS MISTAKE
IE.f4A